I suspect just about everybody will be shopped, eaten, and partied out in January. The weather here will no doubt be gray and dreary. It’s a perfect time for visiting London’s many excellent museums and galleries.
No doubt the average traveller will have difficulty in deciding which of London’s countless museums and galleries to visit. In order to help you choose I have decided to share my personal opinions of the capitals more famous collections. My rankings are based solely on my own opinions and I make no apologies to British Institutions I may not have given the standard spiel about.
If none of the following museums tickle your fancy, there’s bound to be a London museum that does. Some of the many specialist museums include those dedicated to war, cats, toys, Sherlock Holmes, transportation, science, pipes, clocks, marijuana, and countless other topics.
I am not a big fan of the museum. Sure it’s big and has many important artifacts, but I find it boring. The museum still houses its pieces in exciting glass display cabinets. There are so many items in each room that they all blur together. And to make matters worse each room is poorly lit causing me to get sleepy.
More importantly, the artifacts collected may be of great historical importance, but that doesn’t mean they are nice to look at or meaningful to the average person. Notable exceptions are the Egyptian and Greek sections, including colossal statues and eerie mummies.
My personal route of suggestion for seeing the museum is the take a sharp left at the entrance (past the gift shop), this will open into the area of Egyptian pillages. Half-way down the gallery take another left into the Greek pillages (including the Elgin Marbles and a rebuilt temple). Head back to the Egyptian gallery and carry on to the end, go through the doors and take the stairs to the first floor, left at the top will bring you to the newly improved mummy display. Another alternative is to take a guided tour, details of which are found at start areas throughout the museum.
Stacy Rating: 3/5
In my humble opinion the V&A is much better than the British Museum. Dedicated to the decorative arts, the original mandate of the museum was to collect large and aesthetically pleasing pieces for the purpose of encouraging and educating British designers. This means that the average person can easily appreciate what they see. Additionally pieces are large and the galleries are generally bright and airy.
A particular delight of mine is the Gamble Room, which serves drinks and light snacks on the ground level. The dress exhibit is popular but I personally prefer the plaster casts displayed in room 46. Plaster casts were made of important sculpture and monuments in the days before easy travel in order to teach art students. The result in room 46 is David, church facades, tombs, and the Column of Phocas in Rome – so large it’s chopped in two. Tours are offered about once and hour and leave from near the admission desks.
Stacy Rating: 5/5
Wellington Museum (Aspley House)
This is the London mansion of the First Duke of Wellington (who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo). The museum houses nice artwork and china as well as one big centrepiece in a refreshing setting. Surprisingly the Duke was a great fan of Napoleon and this is reflected in the many portraits, paintings, and most obviously the giant naked Napoleon at the staircase. I think this is a nice museum to visit to view artwork in a house setting, but I guarantee you will be humming Abba’s Waterloo for the remainder of the day.
Stacy Rating: 2/5
My personal favorite London museum/gallery. Similar to the idea of the Wellington Museum as it is in a London Mansion, but it houses a much larger, more extensive, and more interesting collection. The collection includes furniture, pottery, and armour, as well as paintings that cover every inch of every wall. This is a great place for people who do not like regular museums as there is something for everyone, and at very least it’s a nice stroll in a beautiful setting (even my Mother liked it).
Stacy Rating: 5/5
Some people’s favorite London museum, this is the 18th century architect’s John Soane’s home that looks almost exactly as it did on the day of his death. The collection contains mainly Mediterranean antiquities displayed in a rather unusual manner.
Unfortunately nothing is labeled and there is only one tour a week. The tour is 2:30 every Saturday, tickets go on sale at 2:00 and are limited to 22 – expect a line-up. As with the Wallace Collection, this is an excellent museum for people who don’t normally enjoy museums, especially as it is more bizarre than any other London museum.
Stacy Rating: 4/5
Dedicated solely to the history of London this museum is an excellent alternative if you are actually interested in the city you are visiting, rather than the plunder on display at other museums. The museum is arranged as a walk through history, beginning in prehistoric times and ending in present day. The displays are more “modern” than those found in other London museums and you actually come away from here feeling you have learned something.
Stacy Rating: 4/5
Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI)
Good for kids as it is one of the few London museums that’s interactive – kids can practice their animation skills and star in a movie. However, I find it a little weak for adults, the highlight being the old black & white porn movies. I also find it a little weak on content, especially as they didn’t point out “America’s Sweetheart”, Mary Pickford (founder of MGM), was Canadian. As a Canadian I get tired of people assuming we’re American just because we sound like them, especially when it’s perpetuated by bodies of authority.
Stacy Rating: Kids – 4/5 Adults – 2/5
One of the world’s greatest art collections, at least a quick visit is a must for every London visitor (and conveniently located on Trafalgar Square). My personal favorite section is the impressionists, which can be found in the galleries to the right of the entrance.
Stacy Rating: 5/5
To me the appeal of the National Portrait Gallery is not in the portraits, but in the audio guide descriptions of the people in them. As this is the “national” gallery expect a long line of people important to the British, not necessarily you. My personal favorite is the small Tudor gallery in the basement.
Stacy Rating: 3/5
I find the Tate very disappointing, mainly because I don’t like Constable and the gallery devotes a large portion of its space to him. My only pleasure in the Tate is that I found the original of my living room print. My advice would be to view the gallery at the left of the entrance and leave (unless you like the quaint farmscapes of Constable, in which case carry on to the right).
Stacy Rating: 1/5
General Info on London
London’s huge. It’s also crowded and buzzing with an energy all
it’s own. With the exception of wildlife you can find everything
you’ve ever dreamt of – for a price.
When coming here the number one thing you can count on is that you’re not going to be bored. The number two thing is that you’re going to spend a lot more money than you planned (even considering most museums & galleries are free).
Guide Book Update
London has gone a little crazy for the Millennium and spent a lot of money on not so good attractions. The most expensive and famous of these is the Millennium Dome in Greenwich.
At £20 a ticket you can celebrate the Millennium inside what looks like a big circus tent. The dome is filled with different “zones” each offering entertainment and education. The Dome has been hugely controversial and is expected to fall short of its expected visitors target when it closes next year.
The London Eye, the world’s largest Ferris wheel, has been erected across the Thames from Big Ben. It was supposed to carry people during the New Years festivities, but a technical glitch left it spinning empty. The wheel still isn’t open and it’s no longer turning, but it is expected to open for visitors in February.
Recommended Readings
Edward Rutherford’s “London.” Okay okay, it’s a long book, but
if you have a long plane ride the payoff is excellent. There’s
so much more to be had from the city when you can walk around
and understand how the things you’re seeing got there.
Getting Around
I know all guidebooks will tell you to take black cabs, and they
are pretty cool but also pretty expensive. You can get much cheaper
travel by finding a minicab, with whom you can negotiate the price
upfront. They are really easy to find at night, they hang around
outside of night clubs and other attractions, and they’re listed
in the phone book if you want to get one from your hotel.
Click here for a map of the London Underground.
Where to Find Info
The what’s on bible for most Londoners is “Time Out” which is widely available and comes out weekly for 1.80.
Every Thursday the very similar (though not as comprehensive) guide “Hot Tickets” comes free with the 35p Evening Standard – which is sold on all street corners.
